JAGS:I STILL HAVE HOPE....

PHIL JAGIELKA SAYS ITS NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE THE FORTHCOMING WORLD CUP SQUAD...

Everton defender Phil Jagielka is looking to make a late surge for South Africa.

The fit-again centre-back has featured in the Blues' last two first-team fixtures - and showed signs that he's not too far from the form he showed before his injury last April. 

Now a place in Fabio Capello's England thoughts may not be as unrealistic as it seemed at the start of the year.

“Maybe the World Cup will come too soon for me but a lot can happen between now and May,” the Blues defender said.

“Once Christmas came and went and I still wasn’t playing, I resigned myself to not being able to kick on and at least give Fabio Capello a headache. But I’m fit now and I’ve got 11 games left for Everton.

“All I can do is perform well and get as much football as possible under my belt.”

Jagielka continued: “People can get injured and people can have a good or bad run of form so I’ll keep battling.”

The 27-year-old has three caps for England, with his most recent being the late substitute appearance for Rio Ferdinand in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine last April, three weeks before his horrific injury against Manchester City. 

But Jagielka's optimism can only have been broadened following team-mate Leighton Baines recent debut for the Three Lions.

The Blues left-back made his international bow in Wednesday’s friendly win against African champions Egypt, to enhance his own hopes of making the squad for this summer's tournament.

“It shows that things can change fast,” the former Sheffield United player said.

“Two or three months ago, Bainesy was probably looking at what holidays to go on this summer and didn’t think he had much of a chance.

“But due to some crazy circumstances Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge aren’t available now.

“Bainesy got picked and rightly so because for me there isn’t a better left-back in the country.

“I’m delighted for him and I thought he did really well. He was very solid defensively and didn’t give the ball away.

“The expectation that comes with playing for your country takes a bit of getting used to.

“He’s quite a shy lad so it might take him a couple of games to get into the flow of things, but he definitely has all the qualities needed at international level.

“Bainesy proved himself at under-21 level with some fantastic performances so there’s no reason why he can’t cement a place in the senior side.

“For me he should be on the plane to South Africa and if he does go on to play for England at the World Cup I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job for them.”